


Allure of Fire

by Judgey_Fish_Caretaker



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Bending (Avatar), Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Everything Changed When The Fire Nation Attacked, F/M, Fire Nation (Avatar), Fire Nation Royal Family, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Implied Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Katara (Avatar)-centric, Minor Sokka/Suki, Oblivious Zuko (Avatar), Post-100 Year War (Avatar TV), Post-The Last Agni Kai (Avatar), Pre-Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Reunions, Slow Burn Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Toph Being Awesome, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zutara Month 2020, Zutara Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:35:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judgey_Fish_Caretaker/pseuds/Judgey_Fish_Caretaker
Summary: "As frivolous as she believed this evening would be, she found solace that the Fire Nation's own Lord was possibly dreading it more than her. Katara smiled to herself: it would be good to see him again, it had been too long." A year following the Hundred Years' War, the Fire Nation hosts a celebratory ball and Katara is among their honored guests. [3-part series/zutara]
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 86
Collections: Zutara Month 2020





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Oops. Fell into another Zutara ficlet! Less canon compliant and more ship obvious. Three short and sweet chapters.

"Katara, hold still!"

Following her spoken request, Suki forcibly yanked the brush in her hand through Katara's hair. Her stubborn waves resisted its bristles, causing the brush to snag and Katara to wince from its pull. She didn't fault Suki for her impatience – she was trying her damndest to have them presentable for the ball this evening.

A _ball._ Katara inwardly groaned. She wasn't usually one for overtly extravagant festivities.

Lavish gown pieces of reds, maroons, black, and gold were haphazardly scattered about the palace guest room they shared. A full year following the conclusion of the Hundred Years War, the event this evening would be hosted by the Fire Nation. It was to be a celebration of the progress made between nations towards a bright future, one of prosperity and peace. In an impressively short amount of time, the Fire Nation had paid reparations to its counterparts, seeking atonement for the suffering and loss they had caused over generations. It was no small task, but the nations' leaders, inspired by the Avatar's merciful victory, sought to converge their talents and resources to create something new.

The Fire Nation's new leader had made it all possible. In his letters to Katara, her dear friend would describe all the ideas and plans he and Aang had – even concepts of a new city, where citizens would migrate from all corners of the world to live harmoniously together. Katara reminisced how Zuko's sheer excitement seemed to float off his words scribbled onto the pages. As frivolous as she predicted this evening would be, she found solace that the Fire Nation's own Lord was possibly dreading it more than her. Katara smiled to herself: it would be good to see him again, it had been too long.

She also mildly wondered if Mai would be attending. Zuko had not mentioned her in any of his recent letters – not that she would ever admit she noticed his omission.

"You're awfully quiet Katara." Toph observed, almost accusingly. She was lounging a top one of the room's plush velvet chairs a few feet away, bare toes wiggling. They had all been received earlier that day by an eager Iroh, who was visiting from his new home in the Earth Kingdom, but had made sure the three of them were comfortably settled in their royal arrangements - complete with fruit and tea baskets in each hand. Sokka and Aang were just across the hall in their own room.

"Am I?" Katara asked innocently, careful to mask her expression. Toph tossed a small piece of fruit above her head, nonchalantly catching it in her wide open mouth.

"Yeah," Toph huffed as she chewed, flopping onto her stomach. She cupped her chin with her hands, giving off the appearance of observing Katara with her milky white eyes. "You nervous?" She asked in a teasing sneer.

"Why would I be?" Katara quipped back, willing her voice to be as even as possible. She flinched once again as Suki's fingers diligently worked on the braided crown that circled the top of her head.

"Hmmm," Toph feigned speculation, to Katara's annoyance. "I could think of a few reasons why," she teased coyly. In spite of herself, Katara's stomach twisted uncomfortably. "I heard royalty suits him – though," she drawled, dramatically flipping her long hair from her face. "I much prefer him scruffy myself. His hair pulled back is too clean cut for _my_ liking."

Katara opened her mouth to protest – and also express confusion as to how Toph could _see_ such things - but was promptly shushed by Suki.

"Toph, don't tease," she lectured. Suki rounded in front of Katara, gently clasping the bottom of her chin with her thumb and forefinger, studying her face. She tsked softly. "I can't possibly pick the correct shades with her cheeks so flushed."

Suki took a minute to assess her work before leaning in close, speaking low enough with the intention of speaking for Katara's ears only. "Don't worry – your secret is safe with me and your brother." A wink.

Katara inwardly groaned again. Sokka too? Was it that obvious?

A displeased sigh broke their shared moment.

"I'm blind not _deaf_."


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This took me way longer than it usually takes me to write, my apologies. I was wrapping up a final chapter for another fic of mine.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The grand ballroom was flurry of shuffling skirts and chatter, the whimsical music of nearby seated musicians floated over the Royal Family's cherished visitors that hailed from all corners of the Fire Nation to attend the evening's festivities. The hall was hardly recognizable from the days prior to the fall of the Hundred Years' War, with warm light glinting off gilded moldings of historic fire iconography and the intricate detailing of prized beige and ruby marble that fashioned the palace's wide expansive floors. Once secluded in the shadows with the intent to mystify and intimidate, the rich detailing of the tapestries was now illuminated and heartily displayed: The Fire Nation once again had a legacy to be proud of.

The hundreds of guests flitted about the room, delicately balancing their drink flutes and small bites in hand while engaged in pleasantries amongst themselves. Despite Suki's incredible efforts, Katara still felt largely inadequate walking amongst the beautiful women in their shimmering silks and finery. She secretly envied them, their laughter so natural and melodic, while she stiffly made her way across the room. She was not used to such fine luxuries.

However, despite her perceived dullness, Katara felt their stares as she passed by. Side conversations within earshot became all but hushed as they walked passed.

"What are they looking at?" Katara whispered to Suki and Toph, keeping her attention ahead as to not accidentally make eye contact with one of these curious individuals.

"You, probably," Suki answered so casually she hardly glanced Katara's way. To Katara's relief, Aang and Sokka were finally within view now, eagerly beckoning them over with less than subtle waves of their arms. "You're the girl who saved the life of their lost prince, are you not?"

Katara doesn't answer. These people all knew about _that?_ So much for blending in.

They've finally just about reached their friends now. Suki effortlessly sauntered around the remaining guests between them before slipping into Sokka's arms for a tight embrace while Katara inelegantly followed behind. Toph, unbothered per usual, joined them.

"You look _really_ pretty, Katara!" Aang commenting earnestly, with a hint of childlike wonder. "You all look amazing." She blushed at his compliment, her fingers fidgeting with the sides of her skirt.

"Thank you, Aang!" Suki _had_ done a really fantastic job. The top layer of her thick brown hair was pulled back in a crown of braids with scattered gold beads entwined, the rest falling freely fall underneath in thick waves. The deep maroon layered fabrics of her skirt floated just over her toes. Midriff bare, her red bodice was stitched with elaborate gold detailing up to her collar that complimented the hem of her skirts, the sash on her hips, and the jewelry stacked on her upper arm encrusted in small jewels. Suki and Toph wore similar attire, assimilating nicely amongst the other party guests.

"I guess she looks okay," Sokka jeered teasingly, squeezing Suki's own bared waist with his arm. He glanced around the room, with a hike of eyebrows. "Zuko knows how to throw some soiree, huh? Impressive for someone who used to be such a party pooper."

"Speaking of which…" Toph piped up. Katara's chest tightened. "Here comes the party pooper now."

They followed Toph's point to see Zuko at the far end of the hall. He had spotted them from beside an ornate champagne fountain where he had been chatting with some visiting dignitaries. At the sight of his friends, he beamed before politely wrapping up his conversation and walking towards them.

It was the same Zuko they had left at following his coronation as the newly crowned Fire Lord, and yet he was a bit different from what Katara had committed to her memory. His dark hair was secured a top his head by his royal headpiece but had since been relieved in tautness, allowing some relaxed pieces to brush handsomely across his face. The previously thin line of his scowled expression had been replaced with a relaxed, content smile. Once placid skin now emanated a warm glow. Most notable from a distance was his distinct garb of deep red, black and gold. Elaborate cloaked spiked shoulders, which were intended by prior Fire Lords to intimidate enemies by representing rank and power, effortlessly provided the once awkward Zuko with a newly confident presence Katara had not seen before.

Was he _broader_ , Katara briefly pondered, or was she just imagining it? Maybe it was the fact he now stood up straighter.

"Friends!" He exclaimed eagerly. "Thank you so much for coming." He dropped his voice, coyly leaning into their huddle. "I know these things can be a bit stuffy but I do hope you're somewhat enjoying yourselves."

"Ehhhhhh," Sokka drawled audibly. "I'm not hard to please. If there's food, I'm there." He shot Zuko finger pistols with a wink. No one argued with him, just gave affirming giggles as a response

Zuko joined in with their laughter. The sound of it was foreign to Katara's ears, causing her heart to flutter unexpectedly.

"Well, I appreciate your visit to Capital City all the same." Zuko's gratitude was sincere. "It's been too long."

"Everything looks incredible, Zuko." Katara offered earnestly, maintaining a casual composure though his amber eyes flitted in her direction. "You can already feel how the Fire Nation has taken impactful, progressive strides. Culturally, technologically-"

"I love visiting because I get to wear these _PANTS_." Aang gripped the lavish red fabric on the front of his legs and stretched them forward. "They're perfect for dancing!" Katara allowed the interruption with an amused roll of her eyes. Admittedly, they all _did_ rock the Fire Nation look.

"Zuko, doesn't Katara look great in red?" Toph asked slyly. Katara willed daggers from her eyes at the side of Toph's head, almost missing Zuko's broad smile at her friend's incredible boldness. From the corner of her eye, she also saw Suki bite her lip prevent herself from sniggering out loud.

"Katara looks great in every color." Was his smooth rebuttal. An unexpected blush threatened to creep over the collar of Katara's gown. "Anyway, I better be going." Zuko gestured over their shoulders towards his uncle who was conversing with a rather beautiful woman, but very obviously was struggling. Cheeks flushed giddily with libations; his wide frame was teetering dangerously to one side and there was little chance his new friend would be suited for assisting him. "I will catch up with you all later-"

Katara wistfully watched Zuko's retreating back as he rushed to salvage his uncle's dignity. Though part of her had come this evening presuming that they would not be able to hold the new Fire Lord's company for too long, she was still disappointed.

"Come on, Aang!" Sokka patted his stomach. His wide eyes were already scoping out the banquet set at the room's center, brimming with small plates of flaming fire flakes, sizzle crisps, hotcakes and other Fire Nation delicacies. "Let's get some food!" Aang released while Suki shrugged besides them, but not without suppressing a slight smirk as Sokka grasped her hand before they hurried over.

Only Katara and Toph remained. Katara often wondered if Toph was bothered by her brother and the Kyoshi warrior's shared affections. In spite of her aloof and at times cheeky presentation, Katara understood that deep down that it was Toph's way of deflecting, guarding her honest feelings. She hoped one day her friend would be willing to confide in her.

"You must look really pretty tonight, Katara." Toph observed matter-of-factly. Katara sighed. She was sympathetic to Toph's inner plight, but she sure wasn't in the mood for her persistent teasing right now.

"Yeah? Why's that?" Katara half-heartedly humored her with a response. She was distracted by watching Zuko toss his arm over his uncle's shoulders, effortlessly intervening from any potential humiliation from overindulgence and overdue celebration.

"I felt his heart skip a beat when he saw you." Though unable to see Katara's soundless gawking, Toph promptly lifted her skirts as evidence to reveal her bare feet and a wiggle of her toes. "Anyway," She dropped her dress. "I'm hungry now."

"You go on," Katara encouraged. "I'm going to take a minute and get some air." She had become suddenly light-headed.

Whether or not Toph was cognizant of the implications of what she had just disclosed, she did not let on. She simply nonchalantly shrugged before heading off. "Suit yourself."

Katara, in the meantime, was instead drawn to the ceiling high windows that opened to the balcony outside. Quiet and inviting, she at last exited the noise and bustle of the grand ballroom.

She had a lot to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ah, one more chapter. This story is meant to be short and sweet. If you're wondering where Aang falls into all of this, it's not meant to be a love triangle explanation. Assume a fizzle out and they're sweet friends.
> 
> Let me know what you think - would be so appreciated!:)


	3. III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That took way longer than anticipated (life happens in 2020) - but the chapter is also a lot longer, so I hope it makes it worth the wait.

The sounds of music and laughter faded behind Katara as she neared the edge of the balcony outside. Cool to the touch, the marble railing bordered the entire length of the grand palace, overlooking manicured spaces as far as the evening's darkness allowed her to see. Now that she was some distance apart from the golden glow of hall inside, she was able to distinguish individual courtyards and gardens that dotted the city's surrounding neighborhoods, lit solely by flickering lanterns and the dim blue hue of the overhead moon.

The royal grounds were beautiful – and she was struck by how it awed her.

Never would have Katara ever predicted herself standing here the palace, a guest of the Royal Family and invited to indulge in all of the finest luxuries and delicacies the Fire Nation had to offer. Only a year ago she, she was carrying out an attack against this very city, the first ever occurrence of a multinational assault on the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War. The Avatar, her brother, her father, friends, warriors from the Southern Water Tribe, friends from the Earth Kingdom, the Foggy Swamp Tribe-

Us versus _them_.

Katara thoughtfully thumbed the marble flames etched underneath her fingers. The face of the enemy used to be so clear growing up as a young waterbender in the South Pole, her home marred by raids and strife. Her journey with the Avatar had revealed to her a world that the world was not as black and white as she had been conditioned to believe. Her thoughts drifted to the wide-eyed Fire Nation schoolchildren timidly dancing following Aang's encouragement, not a trace of malevolence found in their sweet faces. All while Hama, who had fooled Katara with a false sense of fellowship through shared waterbending abilities and birthplace, had proven to be a dangerous threat.

The line between who was friend and foe had been blurred by her journey. The world was no longer black and white and there was growth to be found by exploring the gray.

_It's just that, for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face._

Katara sighed. Recently some gray was proving to be a bit messier than others, leaving her even more confused. Too confused.

"I thought I might find you here." A satisfied husky voice came from behind and Katara jumped ever so slightly at the unexpected disruption. She composed herself before turning around to greet the joining presence, though she already knew.

"Looooooord Zuko," was her drawled welcome, masking her nerves with a dramatic curtsy. _Relax, Katara._ "What do I owe this honor?"

He groaned. "Please don't," the young Fire Lord pleaded. "I've had about enough of that today."

"Alright, alright." She yielded to his good-natured chuckle as he accompanied her at the balcony's edge. Katara tried to ignore how his elbow touched her own with his arms resting on the railing beside her.

"Your home is beautiful," Katara observed, gesturing her head towards the gardens across the way. Even in the soft firelight, she could discern the fresh grass and flowering trees encircling a large pond at its center; the perfect spot for turtle ducks and a lazy afternoon. With barren rocks dominating a significant portion of the palace's immediate surrounding areas, intimate spaces of lush greenery were a pleasant surprise to Katara.

"It is, but-" Zuko shrugged. "I have to say, a part of me prefers our traveling accommodations still. The tents, dirt, sometimes even sleeping underneath the starry sky-" A smile played on his lips as if relishing the memory. "Even if Appa's fur made me sneeze like no other after a solid rain."

Katara lightly laughed in agreement. "I'll tell him you said hello. He misses you."

A beat passed.

"I miss him too."

A brief silence lingered between them. An unspoken dread of an impending goodbye. It was only a short time before they would once again go their separate ways.

"Everything has been great so far," Katara spoke first, gently redirecting the topic. She thought to the sea of smiling faces at the coronation and how they still looked to him in awe now. "You can tell your people adore you, Zuko."

"I appreciate you, but it's not about me. It's about them and we still have so much more work to do." He looked away, his gaze resting on the clustered homes just outside the crater walls of Caldera City. From this proximity, Katara could see the purple that darkened the pallid skin underneath his weary amber eyes. "A hundred years of unnecessary violence and bloodshed were carried out by my people against the other nations. It's time to not only make reparations but to turn a new page-

His frame sagged visibly underneath his royal garb. Beneath all the regalia was just a young man who now carried an invisible weight of the entire Fire Nation and its future on his shoulders. "I just hope I can be half the leader they require of me."

Zuko was tired but not deterred. At the sight of him, Katara was reminded of another time where the prince was overcome with exhaustion, restlessly waiting through the night outside her tent to prove his reformed loyalties-

He had been so persistent to earn her trust, but her pride had made it impossible for him to gain her grace.

_Trust you? I was the first one to trust you!_

Katara inwardly winced at the memory of the fiery words she had so viciously spewed towards him; it had been almost impossible to discern who was the bender of the two. His shocking betrayal deep inside the Earth Kingdom's Crystal Catacombs had so closely followed after their unexpected camaraderie. Katara, once again fooled by her soft heart and a pair of pretty eyes, had been left humiliated with her friend dying in her arms.

Maybe that's why his betrayal had been so unforgiveable at first, despite his quickly earned affection amongst her friends. It had extinguished something she had miscalculated, a misunderstanding of an intimate moment.

Maybe that's why she treaded so carefully, even now. She wasn't sure how she would begin to define this…

Whatever _this_ was.

The two of them stood side by side in a comfortable hush, the music and gaiety of the festivities a soothing murmur behind them. Neither were bothered by the lull in their conversation as both found solace in silence at times. Admittedly, it was a skill that their friends could be a _bit_ more proficient in – without even touching Sokka's nasty habit of chewing with his mouth open. Though they were all victorious in saving the world and bringing a close to the Hundred Years War, they were all but just a gawky group of rambunctious kids, with the eldest not yet sixteen. Arguably the most mature of the others, Katara and Zuko had naturally fallen into their respective guardian roles on this heroes' journey. Despite the quite contentious start of their friendship, the two of them developed a deep mutual trust that had initially surprised Katara, but she was quick to embrace it.

It was Katara who was Zuko's confidant when wrestling with doubts before seeking forgiveness from his uncle. It was also her when choosing a companion to face Azula in preparation for Sozin's Comet's dreaded arrival. She did not hesitate either time.

Still her guard remained up.

The first letter arrived in the few months after they had bid their goodbyes outside Iroh's esteemed tea shop. In the form of thin black strokes on the finest parchment Katara had ever held, Zuko's words decorated its pages. They were filled with inquiries of her home, its thriving community, her Gran-Gran, and travels. His questions were intertwined with his worries, hopes, and recent joys since the war's end and she had replied with her own in earnest. Their once hushed conversations while their friends slumbered now discovered a new medium of paper and she poured over their contents with a new fervor.

She felt foolish to assume there was something hidden behind the ink, just as foolish as the two of them found the Ember Island Players to be: a baseless insinuation of a romance between the proud nation's banished prince and a poor young woman from the Southern Water Tribe.

Had they not also both scoffed at that bounty hunter's persistent accusations? The smug smirk that curled Nyla's dark lips still made Katara's blood boil. She had been _so_ presumptuous.

Now, Katara grappled with the possibility there had been something there all along that she had shielded herself from with unrelenting denial. However, with every letter exchanged was a gradual chip at her defenses.

Katara still was unable to identify when it had all changed for her. The boys, of course, were oblivious to it all, but she was unable to keep her secret from the other two of her dearest friends. When was the first time Suki had spotted the flush in her cheeks at the sound of his name in conversation or when Toph sensed her heart leap inside of her chest? It was as though her body had admitted her feelings before her mind would dare entertain such a reality.

Her fingers fiddled restlessly with the bracelet at on her wrist. The indistinct chatter and music were light behind them though the moment was heavy. She wondered what thoughts crossed his mind as her own threatened to slip from her mouth. As someone who had prided herself in being sensible, she was a bit disappointed in her sudden lack of conviction.

"Katara-"

"Zuko-"

They laughed awkwardly. Katara granted permission with a nod of her head. "You first."

Zuko gave a small dipped his chin in acknowledgement before continuing. "I can't begin to express my appreciation for the time you took to write to me. This can be so daunting. All of it." He gestured his robed arm behind them. Katara noted but does not comment on his purposeful indication towards the palace as opposed to his people outside its walls. "All the advisors in the world, yet, I looked forward to your input the most-" A smirk escaped the corner of his mouth. "I assume it does not come as too much of a surprise that I hold your opinions in high regard."

Katara cocked an eyebrow upwards. "Even when I found you to be entirely insufferable?" She couldn't resist.

Zuko chuckled at her teasing. 'Even then," he confessed. Without warning, his smile formed into a thoughtful frown. "The truth is I've missed you so much." Katara could hardly breathe now. "Your friendship is so incredibly important to me."

There it was. _Friends_. A poor attempt to mask her disappointment, she avoided his eyes by casting hers downwards. The blundering Fire Lord hurriedly amended himself as if sensing his error.

"Wait, that's not what I mean, but it is. Dammit, wait," Zuko fumbled over his words, drawing Katara's eyes back towards him. Truth be told, he had never been the eloquent one. She watched him as he nervously combed his hair out of his eyes with his fingers. He doesn't speak as much as the next words spill from him. "It's difficult to explain but so much of who I am now is because of you, Katara."

"Zuko, I-"

"No, please. Let me finish," Zuko begged, revealing a slight crack in his voice. "I have to say what has been on my mind." With how his inflection trembled, Katara believed he might cry. "I hardly deserved your friendship, no less what I'm asking of you. I don't expect it to be reciprocated, but I-"

Katara took orders from no one. Not even the Fire Lord himself.

Propriety replaced by passion, her lips met his with an fervor that even caught her by surprise. Stunned, Zuko stiffened at first, but soon earnestly melted against her at her wordless permission.

Katara gave him the kiss they should have shared on the floor of the Coronation Plaza amongst the rubble, violent remnants of the royal siblings' Agni Kai for the throne. Fragmented images flit across her mind: a sinister grin, an ominous flash of blue, and the haunting scene of Zuko's full weight thwarting his sister's attack to protect her. Katara's chest still ached at the memory of how the air painfully escaped her lungs in sheer terror, the tension only alleviated by these raspy words of confirmation after Azula's final defeat: " _Thank you, Katara."_

How close she had been to losing it all before it had even started.

Paying no mind to anyone that might see, the pair were an excited fumble of limbs, grasping the surface of the fine fabrics they adjourned. With one hand tangled in hair, Zuko's other traveled down the length of her back, stopping only for his fingers to gently trace the exposed skin of her midriff. She gasped slightly against his mouth and he responded by drawing her closer against him, deepening their kiss with parted lips.

In all of her wildest fantasies, Katara could have never envisioned being kissed like this by someone from the Fire Nation - certainly not the Fire Lord. Life was indeed strange.

It felt simultaneously both an eternity and short precious seconds before they pulled from each other. Foreheads pressed, breath intermingling, they reveled in the aftermath. The palace's guests' chatter and song continued behind them, blissfully unaware of their royal host's current whereabouts. Zuko did not loosen his grip around her waist.

"Stay with me," he murmured to her.

Katara pulled back. "What?"

"Stay with me," he repeated. He brought her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on top. This newfound tenderness was still surprising Katara. "Here. In Capital City."

"A waterbender in the Fire Nation Palace?" _With the Fire Lord?_ "It's never been done before."

"It's a new world," Zuko assured her. "My uncle once said that we must learn from other nations to be successful. Granted, " he cleared his throat before offering a sheepish smile. "I'm not sure this was what he exactly had in mind-"

His hand reached for Kanna's betrothal necklace around her neck, his fingers reverently grazing the pendant's etched waves. "But I want to do this with you."

Katara willed herself not to blush at his implication. Her head had become fuzzy with what he was asking of her: it was all so daunting. "Zuko, I think you're mistaken-" His brow furrowed in confusion. Now it was her turn to stutter. "I couldn't, I wouldn't be able to-"

To stand beside the leader of a nation? What sort of credentials did he mistake her for having? The ever pragmatic one, her mind and her heart were at war yet again.

Embarrassed, Katara hugged her chest and offered no additional clarification for her hurried refusal. She watched in silent agony as Zuko digested her answer, disappointment flickering across his expression only briefly before composing to unexpected contentment. He rolled his jaw in thoughtful consideration, mulling over his next words carefully, before speaking again.

"I knew it was you in Jang Hui." Her heart hitched in her chest. "Their Painted Lady." Katara diverted her eyes, avoiding his gaze as he continued. "The soldiers we had sent returned to us, frightened, blathering on about a spirit woman who had chased them from the village. Now, I'm no stranger to the advantageous opportunities of borrowing a spiritual likenesses," he admitted with a wry, distant smile. "but as soon as I heard their accounts, in addition to the villagers mysteriously being healed from the ailments, I knew it had to have been the work of a waterbender." His tone was gentle and far from accusatory. "I knew it had to be _you_."

Katara closed her eyes. She could never forget. Their gaunt faces stared back at her amongst their squalid homes and grimy water were forever etched in her memory.

"The Fire Nation was still the enemy then, but you didn't shy away from people in need - even if it put you at risk," he spoke softly beside her. "In the middle of a war that had left your own home devastated, you chose to cross lines, lead others to build a better quality of life. You have always had the confidence to do what is right." His voice was carefully measured now but did not lack vigor. "I want to continue to help people, from all of the nations devastated, by this war - together. " A pause. "People like us. You and I."

 _You and I._ There was once a time where Katara believed that there were no two more different people than Zuko and herself. What could a banished prince and a woman from a community his nation had mercilessly ravaged have in common? Fixated on capturing the Avatar, there was nothing he would do not do to accomplish his aims. He had preyed on she and her friends, trailing them as they traversed through the nations: brooding, sinister, and combative - an ever-present shadow just out of sight.

Throughout this chase, the two of them had found themselves pulled into a recurring, intimate war of their own. A sparring match of wills and ability. Fire and water, raging to a boil.

Yet a moment of vulnerability had unraveled all of that. A revelation. A single touch-

Every decision Katara had ever made, even as a young girl, has been calculated and deliberate. Often to the annoyance of her younger brother, she had always been the most practical and a rule follower. Nothing without a plan or a mindful purpose. However, as she grew into a woman, life did not fit into the clean boxes she had formerly set for herself. She had allowed herself to be submerged in these emotions, experiencing immense grief, anger, but also joy and immeasurable bliss. Now, she was navigating a newer feeling. Previous fury had been replaced with an unfamiliar sort of intensity that was confusing, terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time.

She wordlessly cupped Zuko's cheek, her thumb caressing the bottom of his scar. His eyes anxiously flicked across her face from under his loose bangs, watching her with bated breath. This nervous, vulnerable man at the mercy of her response had come a long way from the sulking, brash prince she once met. They both had grown outside their boxes these last few years.

Katara certainly could have never planned for this. It was time for her to take a risk.

"Yes."

He blinked, momentarily stupefied by her answer. "Really?"

She laughed. "Really."

Elated, unbridled laughter filled her ears as he squeezed his arms around her middle before spinning around. Her feet had hardly returned to the ground before his mouth had found hers again with a soft affirming kiss.

She could get used to this.

"Hmmm," he hummed into her hair. Katara's cheek was pressed against his chest in their embrace, the plush fabric of his royal garb doing little to conceal the rapid thumping of his heart.

"What is it?"

"I assume I should return to my own party at some point," he mused, reluctantly. Despite the authoritative crown a top of his head, there was a boyish apprehension that lingered just underneath the surface.

"You should," she agreed, turning her face upwards to meet his. "But we don't have to have such large ones in the future if you don't want to."

Katara spotted an amused glint in the amber of his eyes. "No, we most certainly don't." He wrapped his arm across her back. "Alright, let's join them then-"

It may have been Katara's imagination, but she could have sworn conversations halted as the two of them crossed through the balcony entrance into the grand ballroom. Zuko ignored the ogling and some, to Katara's slight bemusement, envious stares of onlookers as guests dispersed ahead of them, allowing a pathway through. As the two of them floated to the room's center, she caught a glimpse of their friends at the crowd circle's edge. Aang shot a grin of approval while Suki helpfully tapped Sokka's agape mouth, unsurprisingly filled with food, closed. Off to the group's side, Toph smiled coyly, without a doubt enjoying the curious buzz of strangers around her. His uncle looked pleased.

The drawn-out chords played by the instruments signaled the song's conclusion. Zuko and Katara turned to face each other at the band's brief pause before exchanging a short bow. Although the hushed room's eyes were on them, all of their faces were but a blur to Katara except for Zuko's reassuring smile. She released a relaxed exhale and returned it, earnestly.

The music commenced once again, prompting Katara and Zuko to lift their arms up in unison. Katara fairly recalled the movements Aang had taught her some time ago, observing Zuko attentively as their bodies performed the fluid and decisive gestures. Before long, Katara's nerves melted away, allowing herself to become lost in the music as her friends eagerly watched on, never breaking Zuko's enamored gaze from her own.

_…have always circled each other in an eternal dance._

_They balance each other._

Zuko and Katara had circled each other several times before in combat, but now, in dance.

As opposite as embers and a spring rain, a tension had transformed.

There was harmony.

They discovered _love_.

* * *

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter was both challenging but also very rewarding!
> 
> I'll be honest, as a newer ATLA fan, it was more challenging for me to get into the character's heads than what i usually write (Star Wars!), which is why it may have taken so long.
> 
> I do hope you enjoyed this small Zutara ficlet happiness! Your kind words have been so appreciated. Let me know what you think of this finale!

**Author's Note:**

> Ah. My last fic was so fun to write and explore these characters but didn't have enough dialogue! This fic clearly diverges from canon and has a little bit more fun with Zutara. I hope you find this as fun as me - drop a review to let me know what you think! This will probably be the shortest of the three.
> 
> xox rose


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